Records of Connollys (Blackley) Ltd. 1851-1979

Connolly Brothers (Blackley) Ltd was established in 1919, when the assets of Connolly Brothers Ltd were sold to Enfield Cables Limited.

Connollys was a member of the industry body the Cable Makers Association, and was best known for its Blackley Tape product.

As well as the main works in Blackley, Manchester, the company had a factory in Kirkby and offices in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Aycliffe.

The company became a subsidiary of British Insulated Callenders Cables Ltd in 1959, although it continued to operate independently, manufacturing telephone cable. It was became known as BICC Connollys Ltd in 1975 when a restructure of British Insulated Callenders Cables Ltd resulted in the parent company being renamed BICC Ltd.

In 1999, BICC Ltd sold its cable manufacturing business, including BICC Connollys Ltd, to Corning, which was acquired in turn by Belden Cables in 2000. Belden Cables maintained its operations at the former Connollys (Blackley) Ltd works.

BICC Ltd was a cable manufacturing company, the result of the reconfiguration of British Insulated Callenders Cables Limited (BICC) in 1975, at which point BICC became BICC Ltd. BICC Ltd comprised of four operating divisions: BICC Cables Ltd, BICC Industrial Products Ltd, BICC International Ltd, and Balfour Beatty Ltd.

BICC had a world presence which was initially in the Commonwealth but in the 1980s and 1990s extended into mainland Europe and beyond. Acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese companies gave entry in turn to South America and other parts of Africa. Disastrous investments in former East Germany and Russia helped bring the business to its knees at the same time as margins in every other part of the cable-making businesses came under attack.

In 1999, BICC Ltd sold its power cable making business to General Cable Corporation and its optical cable business to Corning. BICC Ltd renamed itself Balfour Beaty in 2000.

Connolly Brothers Ltd was a cable and wire makers founded by John, Thomas and James Connolly in 1894 but acquired 1895 by a consortium of seven subscribers. The business employed around 150 workers.

Connollys initially concentrated production on wire covered with vulcanised rubber and flexible wires. By around 1900 they had installed a lead press to produce lead covered cable which created opportunities in the Far East. They pioneered enamelled wire production using a process licensed from Alfred Voqelgesting of Germany. In 1909 Connollys secured a contract with the General Post Office (GPO) to supply enamelled and cotton covered wire, made up into lead covered cable for use in the telephone service.

In 1919 the company went into receivership and the assets of Connolly Brothers Ltd were sold to Enfield Cables Limited. This led to the formation of Connollys (Blackley).